Words, Hands, Hearts
by ReddyDevil
Summary: Danny said softly, "Have you ever… have you ever been in love with someone you're not supposed to?" Yes, you. The answer danced on Tom's tongue behind his lips, but he forced himself to swallow it and say instead, "Which girl's caught your fancy now?" with his lips turned up at the corners, trying to turn the whole thing into a joke.


**My first time posting here, so please, go easy on me if I've made a glaringly obvious and terrible mistake. The title is taken from a song of the same name by Yellowcard.**

A mournful tune echoed throughout the quiet bus. The clear notes of the haunting melody swirled and danced in the air; the sort of melody that spoke of untold loss and pain and tugged at your heartstrings, wrapping thin tendrils of music around the muscle and squeezing tightly. And for the lanky blonde boy that lay in his bunk, it was the sort of tune that sent shivers down his spine and put a longing in his bones.

Silently, he slipped out of his bunk, stretching his legs out to meet the cold floor. He yawned briefly, stretching his arms above his head and scratched his t-shirt clad stomach. The bus was in darkness except for the pale glow of an artificial light that reached its fingers under the closed door to the back lounge. With the exception of the bus driver, himself and the maker of the music, everyone was asleep. Rubbing his face tiredly and blinking his brown eyes, the boy softly shuffled to the door, opening it slightly to allow for his body to fit through before shutting it with a gentle click.

The small amount of light that filtered down from a silent TV screen fell onto the sofa, creating a spotlight-effect that highlighted a curly-haired boy as he leaned over his acoustic guitar, completely engrossed in what he was doing. The flickering screen sent shadows dancing across the planes and angles of his bare chest, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other boy. He stood and watched, but most of all, listened to the elegant sound that was being emitted from the strings.

Suddenly aware of another presence in the room, the guitarist cut the melody off mid-note, taking his fingers off the strings and sighing quietly as he ran a hand through his dark hair. The bus was suddenly devoid of noise, a complete contrast to how it had been just a few hours ago when the band had had a small party to celebrate the first night of a new tour. As the boy lifted his head, the blonde got a glimpse of his blue eyes that shone like starlight in the source of light that emanated from the small TV screen.

"Couldn't sleep either, eh Tom?" the guitarist asked softly in his thick Northern accent, shifting his position on the sofa as he stared at the tall blonde who was both his band mate and one of his best friends.

Tom smiled slightly. "Nah. Just… thinking too much, I guess." The other boy nodded, gently letting his fingertips glide over the polished wood of the body of his guitar before he lifted it and placed it on the sofa opposite the one he sat on. Tom scrutinized his every move, studying the boy with his head cocked to the side as he stood on one leg and scratched his shin with the toes on the other foot. His eyes didn't miss the way the boy's boxers slipped slightly as he leaned over, exposing pale skin that stretched over a hip bone. He blushed, grateful for the darkness that hid the stain of red on his cheeks.

"Me too," the dark-haired boy admitted, running his hand through his waves of curls again, something that Tom longed to do himself. He imagined how soft the strands of hair would feel between his fingers, calloused from years of playing guitar. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of such thoughts. But he knew it wouldn't make a difference.

Without saying anything, he crossed the short amount of space to lower his body onto the cushions next to the boy, leaning back into the soft leather and turning his head to get a better view of him. "Is it something I can help with, Danny?"

Danny sighed at the sound of his name. "Nah. Not unless…" he broke off his sentence to expel another sigh.

"Not unless what?" Tom prompted, his curiosity piqued by the seriousness of the other boy. Normally, it was hard to get Danny to be serious and solemn-faced without him making jokes or laughing. But Tom didn't mind. As ridiculous as it was, Tom loved the sound of Danny's laugh; the way he gave a short giggle before breaking out into full bursts and the way his eyes sparkled with a dash of mischief and crinkled at the corners.

Danny shook his head. "Nothing." There was silence for a time. Then Danny said softly, "Have you ever… have you ever been in love with someone you're not supposed to?"

_Yes, you._ The answer danced on Tom's tongue behind his lips, but he forced himself to swallow it and say instead, "Which girl's caught your fancy now?" with his lips turned up at the corners, trying to turn the whole thing into a joke. Danny stayed silent, bowing his head to rub small circles on the nape of his neck with his fingers. Tom stopped smiling, realizing that he wished Danny would shed the serious aura like a jumper and take on his smiling, joking, care-free persona again.

"Yeah, I have, and it sucks," Tom said quietly, watching the way Danny's fingers stopped their circles. Raising his head, the brunette turned to look at him, his face half in shadow.

"Yeah? How'd you get over it?"

Biting his lip, Tom looked away for a few seconds before he answered, not looking Danny in the eye. "I haven't."

Danny's eyes widened slightly and he bit his lip thoughtfully, nodding lightly when Tom looked at him again. "Oh." His deep blue eyes stared into Tom's brown ones. Suddenly, he frowned. "You got a bit of…" Leaning forward, he reached out and gently plucked a small bit of Crazy String that had been sprayed around by Dougie from Tom's hair, brushing strands of blonde out of his face as he did so. Tom could feel his face heating up as he felt his band mate's fingers slipping through his hair. Danny was blushing too, not meeting Tom's eyes.

"Oh, thanks," Tom said, raking his own fingers through his hair. Danny nodded, meeting his gaze this time.

"'S okay," he said, his accent making the words slur together in a way that sent heat pooling in the pit of Tom's stomach. He and Danny continued staring at each other for a few seconds, and then suddenly they found themselves leaning forward as their eyes flickered back and forth from the others to their lips. Unable to stop himself anymore, Tom was the one to close the gap between the two boys, pressing his lips to Danny's own soft ones.

After a few seconds, Tom's eyes widened with the realization of what he'd done and he broke away, standing up and avoiding looking at Danny.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry Dan; I don't know what… I just… Sorry," Tom stammered.

"Tom." Danny's voice was quiet and gentle.

"You probably hate me right now, but I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that – it was stupid! Just forget about it, and- " But Tom didn't get to finish his sentence. Danny had sat on the sofa watching him with a small smile on his face, one that Tom hadn't seen. When Tom had started rambling, Danny had stood too, moving over to where the older boy was pacing. He'd grabbed his wrist, pulling him around to look at him, and when he had come face to face with the panicked look on Tom's features, surged forward and reconnected their lips.

There was a short noise from Tom in surprise, before he finally got over his shock and began to kiss back, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss. Lips melded together and tongues clashed while Danny fisted his hands in the soft cotton of Tom's t-shirt to pull him closer. The two boys broke apart with a wet sound.

Tom stared open-mouthed at the shirtless boy in front of him while Danny grinned. "W-what?" he managed to get out. Tingles ran down his body from head to toe.

"Mate," Danny said, his smile stretching wider and allowing Tom to get a better look at the small, crooked imperfection in his front teeth that he loved, "for the smartest guy in the band, you can be a bit thick sometimes." Tom felt himself flush to the roots of his hair. Not wanting to be outdone, he grabbed Danny by the hips and pulled him towards him so that they were standing chest to chest. Tilting his head, he captured the lips of the younger boy again, who returned the kiss hungrily. With one hand on Tom's chest, Danny's other hand snaked around to tangle itself in the soft locks at the nape of Tom's neck. They explored each others mouths with their tongues, familiarizing themselves with them.

When they broke apart for air, gasping loudly, Danny began to attack the other boy's neck with his teeth, nibbling and sucking gently as Tom moaned and felt his knees go weak.

"D-Dan," he breathed, wrapping his fingers in the curls of Danny's hair as his head lolled back. Danny moved up Tom's jaw-line, pressing his nose to Tom's cheek briefly before whispering huskily in his ear, "Too many clothes."

Tom's brown eyes darkened further as a feeling of absolute lust swooped through his body. With Danny's help, he was able to rid his body of the t-shirt, letting the material pool on the ground at the feet. They paused in their movements, Danny reaching out with his index finger to trace the outline of the star tattoo that adorned Tom's chest. His touch sent washes of heat spreading through Tom's body, and when he looked up at him through dark lashes, Tom couldn't help but to feel breathless when he stared deep into Danny's blue eyes. Grabbing the younger boy's face between his hands, he brought their lips together again urgently, almost as if Danny would disappear at any moment. Danny smiled into the passion-induced kiss, locking his hands together in the small of Tom's back and moving them closer together. He groaned as Tom sucked on his bottom lip, a sound that was heaven to Tom's ears. He needed no further invitation to begin walking forwards.

Danny's knees hit the sofa, and he pulled Tom down on top of him as he moved to lie sideways. Tom positioned his elbows either side of Danny's upper body, feeling them sink into the soft material as they took his weight. The kissing heated up fervently, and in a show of strength, Danny rolled and flipped them over so that they still remained on the sofa, but with him now on top. Tom's cool hands roamed his back, feeling ropey muscles ripple beneath his fingers as he arched his body, panting as Danny once again returned his attention to his neck.

"Beautiful," Danny mumbled with every kiss. "You're absolutely beautiful."

"Danny," Tom moaned, pleading. "I… I want you."

Danny removed his mouth from the pale and tender skin on Tom's neck and raised his eyes to meet a pair of brown ones. He grinned softly before leaning down to press his red and swollen lips to Tom's.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say that," he admitted in a whisper.

"Can't be any longer than I have," Tom said, gently running his thumb over Danny's cheek. Danny leaned into the touch. "Now shut up and kiss me."

That night, the room was alive with lust-filled moans and the groans of longing. Shaky encouragement sounded as bodies moved together in a rhythm of their own. A light sheen of sweat covered their skin, making it slick. And when it was over, the two boys lay together on the sofa, limbs intertwined and bodies shielded by a light blanket that Tom had pulled over them. Both boys had their arms wrapped around the other, and Danny rested his head in the crook of Tom's, snuggling up close in a show of affection. Tom kissed his warm forehead, hesitating slightly before whispering, "I l-love you."

A low rumble escaped Danny's chest as a chuckle. Pressing his nose to the other boy's throat that was decorated with black and purple splotches, he echoed his sentiments. "I love you too."

Gentle tendrils of light streamed through half-closed blinds, illuminating the two sleeping figures on the sofa. In their void of sleep, they were oblivious to everything else but each other.

Their band mates stood at the doorway, overlooking the scene before them silently.

"Well," Harry said, sounding amused. "Took 'em long enough."

The smaller boy surveyed the strewn items of clothing on the floor while wrinkling his nose.

"Harry," Dougie said, "remind me to never sit on that sofa again."


End file.
